Veterinary Wisdom® Café

"Call Me The Breeze"

"They call me the breeze...I keep rolling down the road. I've got that green light baby... I gotta keep moving on. There's no change in the weather... ain't no changes in me. I ain't hiding from nobody and nobody's hiding from me. Well now they call  me the breeze...I keep rolling down the road."

 --Lynyrd Skynyrd

This was the perfect life and theme song for my sweet 13 year-old dog Pfeiffer (we had to euthanize her last Thursday night) (see above picture). Despite having two terminal intestinal diseases, she was tough, brave, and still managed to stay casual and calm during rough times. She was an inspiration to our family because she always took whatever adversity she faced in stride. Yes...she had the wisdom to keep rolling down the road because she knew how to take each day as it came, never worrying about yesterday or tomorrow.

It would be an understatement to say that it was difficult for my family and I to euthanize Pfeiffer. As a grief counselor, I'm aware of the nauseous roller coaster that pain and grief can create. Yet, despite all this, I can take some comfort in knowing that this decision was the right one. We gave her a peaceful, loving and dignified death free of needless suffering. It was a hard day, but one I'd like to briefly share.

After the kids got home from school, we took Pfeiffer over to the Garden of The Gods. There are terrific pathways there for people and dogs to walk on (this was one of her favorite spots). It was snowing that afternoon (which we were very grateful for since Pfeiffer has always loved the snow and cold).  Although she had trouble standing up and walking, she was able to walk a little bit with us supporting her. After spending some time sniffing the bushes and listening to the birds, we took her home (after treating her to several Arby's roast beef sandwiches on the ride home). Once home, we put her on her most favorite blanket in our living room and then surrounded her with our own blanket of love.

I'm always hearing from people how helpful World by the Tail products are in working through grief. Last week, I experienced this first hand as we were able to memorialize Pfeiffer right away. We made four ClayPaws® prints (one for each of us). My son chose to use the heart shaped cutter while the other prints were the traditional circle shape). All four prints came out beautifully and were unique to each of us (by using the many charms, ribbons, and stamps available to personalize our prints). We also used one of the large body care bags to transport Pfeiffer's body to the crematory. Later that night, we all sat down together and read both Dog Heaven and A Special Place For Charlee.These books and our subsequent discussion afterward was very healing. During the next few weeks, we also plan to use the Sweet Petatoes® Pet Memories Box, The Photo Brag Books as well as the Deluxe Dog Scrapbook kits. All these products will help us with our grief and keep her close to us.

Like many of you, I'm grateful for the wonderful people and products at World by The Tail.  I'm also grateful that I could talk to you all about my dear, sweet, old lady. Who knows.. with World by the Tail's guidance and our family love, maybe someday I can return to rolling down the road.

--Dana

 

Pink Roads And Floppy Ears

I must tell you that this past week-end my life had gone to the dogs. On Saturday afternoon, I participated in the "Pooches in Pink" walk (part of the Susan G. Komen foundation's Race For The Cure). The best part? I didn't have to walk alone! There were dogs-a-plenty in all shapes, sizes, and colors...and I must say, a LOT of smiles and tail wagging!

Last year, I was diagnosed with breast cancer myself and have been working through the treatments, the stress, the fatigue, and the fear. It can definitely bring you down sometimes. Saturday, I was able to turn this into a positive thing by forming a team from our veterinary hospital. So...The "Mountain Shadows Pet Hospital Tailwaggers" walked yesterday to honor and memorialize the thousands of women who have survived breast cancer or died from it. To be sure, there was lots of pink...pink collars, pink leashes, pink bandannas, and pink clothing (one woman even colored her standard poodle pink)!

I think that the best part of all this for me was seeing how much dogs enrich our lives. When walking with a dog, I feel more confident, happy, calm, and centered. I focus on the here and now and enjoy the day that I've been given instead of worrying about tomorrow. Those are the lessons and gifts that dogs bring to us every single day. As I saw survivors walking with their own dogs, I started remembering the long, difficult days after chemotherapy, and the profound fatigue I had from radiation. Yet, I also remembered how my dogs supported me and I just knew that these women didn't have to go through their struggles alone.  I'm confident that their dogs stayed beside them, supported them, encouraged them, and made them feel loved during a horrible time time in their lives.

For me, my three dogs (pictured at left) helped tremendously. After chemotherapy, I'd sleep on the couch in the living room, and they'd all form a little dog line on the floor beneath me with heads to tails all stacked up! Even though it often got really hot in this "dog clot", they all stayed with me and never left the couch until I got up. They never looked at me strangely when I lost my hair, and they accepted me no matter how I felt. I am so grateful for them and the ways in which they helped me. I'm also inspired to watch other women who have battled through this long road....a road that is turbulent and bumpy, but also filled with hope. It was uplifting to see all these women and their wonderful dogs. Dogs that are not only friends but also companions, confidantes, playmates, nurses, and even spiritual advisers.

How about you? Have any of you gone through cancer or have known someone diagnosed with this disease? How do you think pets can affect the cancer treatment process and how can we make it happen for all people with cancer? Please share your ideas and thank you for letting me share mine.

-Dana

P.S. I want to formally acknowledge and memorialize the thousands of beautiful souls who have died from cancer. Today, I honor them and the all the people in their lives who helped them through. I also want to honor all our dogs; our guardian angels in life.

Memorializing With the Heart

At our hospital, we have two separate memorial plaques on the wall of our front lobby. One for dogs, and one for cats. If clients wish to have their pet's name engraved on one of our plaques, we simply ask that they make a small donation (in the amount of their choosing) to a variety of worthy and respectable animal welfare organizations (we provide them with a list to choose from). Over the years, these plaques have been quite popular and I'm proud of the fact that we've been able to raise good money for these animal organizations. However, I think that I had lost track of how important these plaques are in helping clients deal with their grief.

Last week, I spoke to a client who wants to get a nameplate for her cat (he died last month). She had questions for me about how to fill out the form, and which animal organizations were the most "deserving". As our conversation continued, it became increasingly clear to me how much this whole process of memorializing was helping her with her grief. As we discussed details, she was able to express some of her regrets, her sadness, and her trouble with adjusting to life without her precious friend. It gave us an easy opportunity to talk about her grief process and what she finds most challenging. It's a good reminder for me just how important memorialization is to having a healthy grief outcome. The very act itself requires us to reflect on our relationship with that pet; the good and bad times; and the wacky stories over the years. It can be very sad, but it's also comforting just to be thinking about our pets and not forgetting their impact on our lives. I always suggest to clients that they do some kind of memorial when their pet dies because it allows me a chance to support them. It's nice to know that I'm also increasing the change of better grief outcomes along the way.

How have you memorialized pets that you have lost?

--Dana

For Whom the Belles Toll

As you have probably heard, there was tragedy amidst the triumph at the Kentucky Derby yesterday. While Big Brown was celebrated, tragedy and loss was occuring right on the track.

Eight Belles, the only filly in a field of 19 colts, had placed second behind Big Brown. Coverage on TV rightly focused on the winner, while just paces away, Eight Belles had fallen to the track with two broken front ankles. She ran the race of her life, but in the process her body failed her. Her owner, Larry Jones, has commented that he knows he will be "criticized and second-guessed", but he defends his decision to run her with the "boys". (She was an odds-on favorite to win the Kentucky Oaks - female only race only days before the Derby.)

All over blog-land today, I've read calls to reform horse-racing, to boycott it, etc. I can't say that I actually know enough about it to take a really strong position on this. I have watched some racing on TV, here and there.... The beauty of a running horse is something to behold. I am glad I wasn't watching yesterday when this tragedy happened. I don't think I will watch again because the death of this beautiful girl has upset me. It seems unnecessary and so sad to have lost her lovely life so soon.

I think what I would like to say mostly is a farewell and rest in peace to Miss Eight Belles. She was a strong and beautiful creature, who only gave what was asked of her. She didn't have the say whether to run or not - she obeyed, and paid for that with her life. We are given a unique duty with domesticated animals - they depend on us for their care and well-being. I know that her trainers, and owners, did not intend for her to die this way, however, their choices (in my opinion only) may not have been the best for this young filly.

Rest Well Eight Belles.

(AP Photo/Morry Gash)